Secrets and Lies
by Trinity Day
Summary: [Complete] What if Cole hadn't disappeared from Phoebe's life after she faked vanquishing him?  What if they continued dating?  What if Phoebe's sisters found out?  Alternative Season 3 arc
1. Guilt

**Secrets and Lies: Guilt  
by Trinity Day**

**Posted: Sunday, January 7, 2001  
Revisions: Sunday, January 18, 2004 **

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Charmed. I'm just playing with them for my own (and, hopefully, those who are reading the story's) amusement.**

**Summary: What if Cole hadn't disappeared from Phoebe's life for several months after she pretended to vanquish him? What if they continued their relationship? What if Phoebe's sisters found out? ****_Guilt_ - in which Phoebe and Cole decide what to do next. **

**Author's Notes: I wrote this years ago. I've made minor revisions, but they're mostly just spelling and grammar. Originally it was part of a series, starting with "Guilt", but I've combined them together for easier reading. This particular part is set after the episode "Sleuthing with the Enemy"**

**You may recognize this as having been uploaded recently under its original name, instead of the series title, "Secrets and Lies". Someone, unfortunately, posted it in their name without my permission. It's been dealt with and I'm only mentioning this in case any of you are scratching your heads, wondering why my name and the story's name has suddenly morphed. ** **Fortunately, the incident spurred me into finally completing this story, as well as making minor revisions to the previously written parts. I hope you enjoy.**

Her sisters were tripping over themselves, trying to be kind to her. It was driving Phoebe crazy.

Poor, pathetic Phoebe, who had fallen for a demon. They hadn't even reproached her for asking Leo to heal Cole. That itself was a major surprise. Any other time, Phoebe knew she wouldn't have heard the end of it for weeks. But no, right now Phoebe was in a delicate condition. She was too fragile to withstand being scolded.

Phoebe bet Piper hadn't let Leo hear the end of it.

When the thought struck her, Phoebe had to grin. Never, not once in her life, did she ever imagine she would wish Prue and Piper would nag at her for something. But circumstances change, and Phoebe was feeling guilty. She had lied to her sisters.

It wasn't a small white lie, either, some insignificant fib about borrowing clothes or a car. No, this was a huge lie. What her sisters would do if they found out Cole was still alive? They certainly wouldn't be walking on eggshells around Phoebe, that's for sure.

There was a knock at her door and Phoebe absently called out, "Come in."

A hesitant Piper came through, followed closely by Prue. Phoebe's two older sisters sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Hey Pheebs," Piper said kindly. "How're you feeling?"

"Fine," Phoebe said in an oddly detached voice. She didn't miss the worried look exchanged between Prue and Piper, but pretended that she had.

"We're going to see a movie," Prue said. "We were wondering if you'd like to come with us."

"No thanks."

"Are you sure?" Prue asked. "You should really get out. You've been moping around since – you've been moping and it's not good. You need to get out of the house."

"I'm fine," Phoebe said.

"Honey, we're really worried about you," Piper said.

Phoebe forced herself to smile. "I'm fine, really," she said. "I just don't feel like seeing a movie."

"Then we can do something else," Prue suggested.

"No," Phoebe said quickly. At the worried looks her sisters gave her, she added, "I'm sorry, I just don't feel like going out right now. You two go. I'll be fine."

"I don't think - "

"Go," Phoebe said firmly. She smiled again. "I'll be fine. Just 'cause I don't feel like going out doesn't mean you two should be trapped in the house, too."

"You sure, sweetie?" Prue asked.

"I'm sure," Phoebe said. "Go," she said one last time.

After Prue and Piper left, Phoebe flopped onto her bed again and didn't move until she heard the front door close. Prue and Piper must have decided to go to the movie after all.

"About time," she muttered, sitting up. "I thought they'd never leave."

It wasn't that she didn't appreciate her sisters, but Phoebe was getting very sick of Prue and Piper treating her like she was made out of porcelain. She was tired of constantly having to pretend around them. She hadn't killed Cole, and every minute she spent with her sisters – especially when they kept acting so sympathetic – just served to make her feel guiltier about leading them on.

The manor was too confining, Phoebe decided finally. She needed to get out. She left a note for her sisters, in case they came home before she got back, saying she had gone for a walk.

It was a cool evening and although the sun had set, there was still some light left when Phoebe set off. Not really caring about where she wound up, Phoebe just wandered around until she found herself in the park.

By now it was completely dark, but the park path was lined with street lamps, so Phoebe didn't worry too much about that. Besides, although the park was far from crowded at this time of night, enough people populated it to make it safe.

There was a light breeze that made Phoebe wish she had brought something warmer to wear.

A familiar voice echoed her thoughts. "You shouldn't be out here without a coat. It can get pretty cold at night."

Phoebe whirled around to see Cole a few feet away from her. He had been standing in the shadows, but came out into the light once she saw him.

"I know," Phoebe said, unable to take her eyes off of him. "You shouldn't be here."

"I know." Cole also seemed unable, or unwilling, to break the stare.

"It's dangerous," continued Phoebe.

"I know," Cole said again. "But when I saw you, I couldn't help myself. What are you doing here?"

"I was taking a walk."

"Me too. I was getting tired of hiding. I needed to get out, but there are too many people who might recognize me to go out during the day."

"You could always leave town," Phoebe said, but it was an empty suggestion. Even her head was screaming no, and her heart was a lost cause. She didn't want Cole to up and disappear.

Luckily for her heart and head, Cole agreed. "No," he said in a manner that made it clear it wasn't an option.

Neither of them said anything else for a bit. The silence became awkward until finally Cole said softly, "I missed you."

"I missed you too," Phoebe admitted.

With that, the wall between them fell. Looking back, Phoebe could never remember which one of them actually moved towards the other, but she suspected they both contributed to closing the gap between them. The next thing she knew, Cole was smothering her with kisses, which she was just as passionately returning.

They finally broke off, gasping for air. "We shouldn't do this," Cole said. "Not here, not now. Someone might recognize me."

"You're right," Phoebe said. "Do you know anywhere we can go? We need to talk. In private."

"Yes," Cole said. "We can go to my place."

"Not your apartment." Phoebe wasn't sure if it was a question or a statement.

Cole shook his head. "Not my apartment. Come on." He grabbed her hand and led her away.

It took almost half an hour to reach Cole's new place. It was a tiny little house, but it looked pretty nice and cozy from the outside, at least.

Phoebe stared at it. They hadn't said much on their way over. "Pretty nice place," she said, "especially for a guy on the run. I always thought they lived in seedy motels with clerks who didn't care who you were or what you did and would sell you to the first cop who gave him twenty bucks."

Cole laughed at this. "Well, it helps," he said, "when the people you're running from think you're dead."

"How can you afford this?" Phoebe wondered. It wasn't big, but in this area it would cost a small fortune.

"I'm renting," Cole shrugged. He dug up the keys from his pocket and unlocked the front door. Phoebe followed him inside. She looked around the front hall.

"Pretty nice," she said. Then, smiling, she added, "For a bachelor pad."

"Not much of a bachelor pad," Cole said, completely serious. "There's only one girl I'm interested in bringing here."

"Oh, and who might that be?" Phoebe asked, a small smile on her lips.

"You," Cole whispered just before his lips found hers. Phoebe kissed him back hungrily. It had been too long since she and Cole had been together. She missed him. She wanted – _needed_ – to taste him again.

Phoebe and Cole had already found their way to a couch, and things would have progressed much further if Cole hadn't suddenly pulled back.

"No," he said, breathing heavily. "As much as I hate to, we have to stop."

"Why?" Phoebe asked, although she knew he was right.

His eyes begged her not to make it any harder for him than it already was. She knew it was taking all his willpower – and all of hers, for that matter – not to start ripping off every last article of clothing on their bodies. "Not tonight."

He was right, and Phoebe knew it. She sat up and started to button up the few buttons that had come undone. Beside her, Cole also straightened his clothes.

"How have you been?" he asked, attempting to make normal conversation.

"All right. It's hard," she admitted, "lying to them. But it's the only way. They wouldn't understand." Cole found her hand and gave it a comforting squeeze. "What about you?" she asked.

"Well, I've been lying low," he told her, "In case there was any doubt surrounding my 'death.' "

"And was there?" Phoebe asked.

"So far, no. Your plan seemed to have fooled everybody."

Phoebe smiled sadly. Cole pulled her closer to him and kissed her forehead. She did not sit up again, but instead twisted herself around so that she was now leaning against him. He played with her hair. "Is everything all right?" he asked.

"Yes," Phoebe answered. "No."

She could feel him smile. "That isn't exactly the most informative answer. Which is it?"

"No," she decided.

"What's wrong then?" Cole asked when Phoebe didn't volunteer anymore information.

"I just - I just don't like lying to my sisters." He stopped stroking Phoebe's hair for a second, but resumed as she snuggled up closer to him. Moving her head from his shoulder to his chest, she continued. "The worst part is, they're acting so nice to me!"

"The horror," Cole said, humour evident in his voice.

"Stop that!" Phoebe ordered. They feel sorry for - for - " she faltered, "for what happened with you. They're treating me so nicely because of what happened and it's just making me feel guiltier and guiltier. Here I am, lying to them."

Cole thought about that for a minute before replying. "I don't want to come between you and your sisters, Phoebe," he began. "Not again. Never again."

"I don't want you to come between us, either," Phoebe said sadly. "But you are."

"Maybe I should leave," Cole suggested.

"Leave?"

"Leave San Francisco. Leave your life. Forever. It'll make things much easier. I just seem to mess up your life."

"No!" Phoebe protested loudly and swiftly. "No. I don't want you to leave. I like a messy life."

Cole smiled. "I don't want to leave, either. But I want what's best for you," he said.

"_You're_ what's best for me," Phoebe said. "I love you, Cole."

"I love you too, Phoebe," Cole said back. He hugged her tightly. "We _will_ find a way to work things out," he swore. "I promise."

"Thank you," Phoebe said, grateful for the reassurance that everything would work out in the end.

Phoebe had no idea how long they lay there together, but the next thing she knew, she was waking up when Cole moved suddenly.

"Wake up, sweetie," she said quietly.

Phoebe made a noncommittal noise, still more than half asleep, so Cole had to gently shake her until she woke up a bit more. "We're falling asleep," he said.

"Is that so bad?" she asked. "I want to spend the night here, with you."

"I want you to, too," he said, kissing her. "But your sisters will worry."

"I hate my sisters," she slurred sleepily, and at that minute, she almost meant it. She was warm and cozy and, most importantly, with Cole. All she wanted to do was spend the night in his arms.

"No you don't," Cole said. "Come on. "Ill give you a ride home." Phoebe let him lead her to his car.

She woke up properly on the ride home. Cole brought the car to a halt a few blocks away from her house. "I hope you don't mind walking from here. I just don't think it would be a good idea if anyone saw me dropping you off," he explained.

"You're right," Phoebe said. "I'll be fine from here." She unbuckled her seatbelt and got out of the car. She leaned down into the car before closing the door to say goodbye. "Call me," she said suddenly.

"I'll do my best," Cole promised. "Good night, Phoebe."

" 'night, Cole," Phoebe smiled. She stood up and closed the car door, then waited until it had driven off before she head back home.

"There you are," Piper said, coming into the front hall when Phoebe went in. "We were starting to worry about you."

"Didn't you get my note?" Phoebe asked. "I went for a walk."

"We saw your note," Prue said, joining her two sisters in the front hall. "You've just been gone for quite some time."

"How long have you guys been home?" Phoebe asked.

"About an hour," Piper said.

"Was the movie good?"

"Yes," Prue said. "Where'd you go?"

"No where in particular," Phoebe lied. "I just wandered around."

They bought it, just like Phoebe expected them to. "How're you feeling, honey?" Piper asked.

"Better," Phoebe said, meaning it. "And tired. So if you guys don't mind, I'm going up to bed. It's been a long day."

" 'night, Pheebs," said Prue and Piper.

" 'night guys," Phoebe said..

End Guilt


	2. Normal

**Secrets and Lies: Normal  
by Trinity Day**

**Posted: Saturday, January 20, 2001  
Revisions: Sunday, January 18, 2004**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Charmed. I'm just playing with them for my own (and, hopefully, those who are reading the story's) amusement.**

**Summary: What if Cole hadn't disappeared from Phoebe's life for several months after she pretended to vanquish him? What if they continued their relationship? What if Phoebe's sisters found out? _Normal_ - in which Phoebe and Cole try to go on a normal date.**

**Author's Notes: I wrote this years ago. I've made minor revisions, but they're mostly just spelling and grammar. Originally it was part of a series, starting with "Guilt", but I've combined them together for easier reading. This particular part is set after the episode "Coyote Piper" and has a few, minor spoilers for it.**

Phoebe was running through the campus parking lot when her cell phone ran. She fumbled with her bag, trying to get it out without slowing down. "Prue?" she asked, answering it. "I'm so sorry I'm late. I was in the library - the real library this time - and I completely lost track of time. I'm on my way home right now."

There was a pause, then the person on the other end chuckled. It was a deep, definitely masculine laugh. "And here I thought you were supposed to be the psychic one."

A smile spread across Phoebe's face and she slowed down. "Cole," she said.

"What's this about a real library?" he asked.

"Umm . . . " she hesitated. It wasn't that she wanted to keep fact that she had been looking into his background a secret, but it wasn't something she wanted to discuss over the phone. That was a face-to-face conversation if there ever was one. "Nothing," she finally said. "It doesn't matter."

Cole was willing to drop the subject. "I told you I'd call," he said.

"Yeah, you did," said Phoebe.

"Are you free?"

"When?" Phoebe asked, at last reaching Prue's car.

"Now," Cole said.

"Yeah. Well," Phoebe amended, unlocking the doors, "I will be as soon as I return Prue's car. I was kinda supposed to be home twenty minutes ago."

"How 'bout I pick you up, then," Cole suggested.

"Sure," Phoebe said. "When?"

"I'll call you back in half an hour, okay?"

Phoebe thought about it. "Prue should be in enough of a hurry that she'll save the yelling at me until after she gets back so that sounds fine to me."

"I'll see you soon, then," Cole said.

"Bye." Phoebe hung up the phone then made the drive back to her house in record time.

Just as Phoebe thought, all Prue had time to do was demand why Phoebe had been late and listen to a rudiment apology before rushing off for her appointment.

As the eldest Halliwell witch walked out the door, Phoebe thought she heard her mutter something about hoping there was at least gas in the tank for once. Phoebe decided it would be best to ignore it.

Her sisters had finally realized all she needed was a little time and space and were finally honouring Phoebe's request for privacy. They had also stopped tiptoeing around Phoebe about a week ago, much to her relief and in the last few days especially, things had started to go back to normal. Prue wasn't curbing in the anger that only Phoebe seemed to bring out in her, at the very least.

Prue and Piper had also called Phoebe out on avoiding them, which had been the first time since the whole Cole/Belthazor mess that the three sisters had had a confrontation. Even though that normally couldn't be called a confrontation, it was a step.

But now was not the time to be pondering her relationship with her sisters. Phoebe made a beeline for her room so she could get ready for her date with Cole.

"No," she chided herself. "Not a date, not a date."

"What's not a date?"

Phoebe hadn't even noticed Leo standing there, she was that distracted. He seemed to be looking at her with faint suspicion, but Phoebe was too startled to try to analyse it.

"Uhh," she said, her mind racing to find a suitable lie. "Nothing. Just talking to myself."

"But what was that about a date?" Leo pressed. "Are you going out?"

"No. Well, yes. But not a date. It's just this term paper I have. I couldn't remember when it was due. But I'm going back out to work on it."

"I see." Leo was working hard to keep his face a blank slate, which worried Phoebe. She couldn't figure out what he was thinking, whether he had bought the story. Luckily, she often found it hard to concentrate at home, so going out to write her papers was normal behaviour for her.

Leo stood there a minute longer than was necessary, regarding the youngest Halliwell. Then he abruptly left without saying another word.

A few days ago, just outside of P3, Phoebe had let it slip that Cole was still alive. Well, not so much slipped, as chickened out of her decision to let him – and her sisters – know what had really happened the night Belthazor had been 'vanquished.' Although she had covered up quickly, Phoebe didn't think Leo was buying the "for me" bit. At least he hadn't told Piper or Prue. Phoebe didn't even want to think about what her sisters would do if they suspected that Cole was not as dead as she claimed he was.

Phoebe sighed and, pushing all thoughts of Leo out of her head, got ready for her date – not date – with Cole.

Cole phoned exactly when he said he would. They arranged a place to meet, and Phoebe managed to sneak out of the house without running into either Piper or Leo.

"You look nice," Cole commented. He had once again been waiting off the path so that he was partially hidden.

"Is this going to be happening a lot?" Phoebe asked. "I mean, are you going to turn into Angel, always lurking in the shadows?"

"What?" Cole asked, looking confused. It wasn't often that people referred to him as an angel.

"Angel. You know, from Buffy." Cole didn't look like he had the slightest clue what she was talking about. "As in the TV show, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Angel is a vampire who's always hiding and staying in the shadows. You know, your TV IQ is appallingly lacking."

"I'll see what I can do to remedy that," Cole deadpanned. Then, sobering up, he added, "But I don't think I should parade around in full sight of everyone."

"No one's come after – " Phoebe asked, suddenly panicking.

Cole shook his head, anticipating the question. "I haven't seen hide nor tail of a demon since Krell. I just don't want to run the risk of walking about in full sight and having someone recognize me – demon or otherwise."

"Probably a good idea," Phoebe said glumly. She suddenly had a vision of the two of them always sneaking around, always hiding, and it depressed her.

Cole seemed to know what she was thinking, because he wrapped his arms around her and said, "Don't worry, Phoebe. This won't last forever. I just have to lay low for a little while until what happened isn't such hot news."

"But even then, all it'll take is for one demon to see you and we're right back to square one," Phoebe said pessimistically.

"That's not entirely true. There are few demons that actually know what my human form looks lie. And those that do . . . " he trailed off. "Just give it a few more weeks."

"My sisters would recognize you. So would Leo, or Darryl, or -" Cole pressed a finger to her lips.

"We'll worry about that _if_ it happens. Call me selfish, but I don't get to spend much time with you. I'd like it if what little time we _do_ get to spend together, we don't waste discussing endless what-ifs."

"You're right," Phoebe agreed. She smiled coyly at him. "Though I don't think I'll start calling you 'Selfish' – 'Cole' suits you much better." She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him in for a kiss.

"See?" Cole murmured. "Isn't this nicer?"

"Much."

They continued kissing for quite some time until a few teenage titters and a catcall of "Get a room!" made them remember they were in a public place. They broke off, Phoebe bushing uncontrollably, while Cole was only somewhat successfully trying to hide a grin. There was a group of junior high students that seemed to have enjoyed the show.

"Maybe we should go somewhere a little more private," Phoebe suggested.

"You don't like an audience?" Cole asked, nibbling on her ear. She jerked away, embarrassed. The kids were still watching.

Cole laughed. "Actually, I was hoping we could go see a movie, or something."

"Ah. That infamous 'dating' thing that people are always talking about. I've always wondered what that was like."

An emotion Phoebe couldn't identify briefly flitted across Cole's face. "We haven't really had a chance to do anything normal for awhile, have we?"

"What's normal?" Phoebe asked, trying to keep her voice light. "I mean, I'm a witch, you're half-demon. We're not exactly spokespeople for the PTA."  
  
"No. But how 'bout, just for tonight, we forget all about that. We can pretend we're normal, go on a normal date. What do you say? Dinner and a movie?"

"Sounds great."

They argued for ten minutes over what movie to see and ended up not watching it anyway. At least, after they left the theatre, neither of them could remember what the movie was about.

"I feel like a teenager again," remarked Phoebe. "I haven't done that in years."  
  
Cole smiled. "Any ideas for dinner? Italian sound good?"

Phoebe's face fell. "I'm not sure dinner's such a good idea," she said.

"Why not?" Cole frowned slightly.

"It's getting late," Phoebe said.

Cole looked at her as if she had sprouted wings. "Late?" he questioned. "It's barely seven. Since when is that late?"

"Since my sisters think I'm at the library, which closed at six," Phoebe explained.

"Oh. I see." Phoebe thought she could hear a hint of disappointment in his voice, but wasn't sure. Cole was very good at hiding his emotions from her most of the time.

A tiny little voice in the back of her head reminded her that's how he managed to trick her for two months, hiding the fact that he was the demon trying to kill her and her sisters. Phoebe firmly pushed that niggling thought aside. Now was not the time for that. They were trying to be a normal couple tonight.

"I'll call, see what I can do," she compromised. The smile Cole gave her was worth the effort it would take to think of an excuse her sisters would buy.

They went outside because it was too crowded and noisy in the movie theatre to use a cell phone. Phoebe dialled the house but got the answering machine instead of her sisters. "Hey, it's me," she said. "I'm out, uhh, obviously. I guess you're at P3. I probably won't be home for a few hours, but I have my cell phone if something comes up. Umm . . . that's all. I guess I'll hang up now." She laughed nervously and clicked the end button on her phone.

"Machine?" Cole asked.

"Yeah," Phoebe answered. "Prue and Piper are probably over at the club."

"Then that means we're on for dinner." Cole's voice rose a tiny bit at the end, making Phoebe wonder if he meant that as a question.

"Dinner, definitely."

"Good." Cole smiled. "So that leads me back to my original question. Where exactly do you want to go?"

A few hours later, after dinner at a rather nice Italian restaurant, Cole drove Phoebe home. Again, he stopped a few blocks away. Although Prue and Piper were probably still out, there was no sense in taking an unnecessary risk. Cole did, however, get out of his car so he could give Phoebe a good night kiss.

"You don't always have to wait so long in between calls, you know," Phoebe commented.

Cole had the decency to look guilty. "I'm sorry about that. But I am trying to stay low. And as much as I hate it, spending all my time with my girlfriend is not a good idea when I'm trying to hide out."

"I know," Phoebe said quietly, though there was a definite whine to her voice. "But it doesn't mean I have to like it."

"I hate it, too," Cole said. He leaned in and kissed her. Phoebe felt him slip something into her hand. "If you ever need to get in touch with me," he whispered.

In Phoebe's hand was a business card, blank except for a phone number. She closed her fingers tightly around it and watched him drive off. Then she went home.

Just as she had suspected, Prue and Piper were still at P3. There was no note, but the answering machine was blinking so Phoebe pushed the button to see who had called.

First message. "Hey Pheebs. We forgot to leave a note. Prue and I are over at the club. We'll be there all night if you need us." Beep.

The second message was a hang-up.

Then Phoebe's voice came on to the machine. Phoebe listened to herself in disgust. She knew she had sounded guilty, but she didn't realize how bad it was. She was glad her sisters hadn't heard the message; they would know something was up for sure. It was bad enough that Leo was sceptical without arousing their suspicions, too. Phoebe slammed down on the erase button.

After that Phoebe got changed, fed Kit, who was meowing loudly for dinner, and settled down at the kitchen table. She did, after all, have a paper to write.

End Normal


	3. The Piper's Song

**Secrets and Lies: The Piper's Song  
by Trinity Day**

**Posted: Monday, January 22, 2001  
Revisions: Sunday, January 18, 2004 **

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Charmed. I'm just playing with them for my own (and, hopefully, those who are reading the story's) amusement.**

**Summary: What if Cole hadn't disappeared from Phoebe's life for several months after she pretended to vanquish him? What if they continued their relationship? What if Phoebe's sisters found out? _The Piper's Song_ - in which Phoebe and Cole's romantic evening doesn't turn out as planned. But then, when do things _ever_ turn out as planned?**

**Author's Notes: I wrote this years ago. I've made minor revisions, but they're mostly just spelling and grammar. Originally it was part of a series, starting with "Guilt", but I've combined them together for easier reading. This particular part is set after the episode "We All Scream for Ice Cream."**

**My original author's notes have me blaming this on reading too much Shakespeare lately. Shakespeare has a way of writing his characters so . . . human that I find it impossible not to empathize with the villains. So when I watched "We All Scream for Ice Cream," (which I thought was a wicked episode, by the way) I couldn't help but feel sorry for the poor, murderous demon kids. Then I got thinking about Cole - he's never far from my mind when it comes to Charmed - and this story arose. If you like the Pied Piper story, check out **_After Hamelin_** by Bill Richardson.**

The date was circled in her date book in red ink with stars scattered all around it. Normally, every calendar in the house would have similar markings, much to the chagrin of her sisters, but normally Phoebe didn't have a date with a half-demon whom her sisters thought was dead.

Unlike the last few times she had seen Cole, Phoebe had actually been talking to him regularly this time. She had spent hours fingering the simple card that he'd written his number on. Not that she needed it; she knew the seven digits off by heart

Talking on the phone wasn't the same a talking in person, but Phoebe preferred it a thousand times more to not talking at all. She hated waiting and worrying.

"How 'bout a nice, romantic dinner at home?" Phoebe had suggested during one of their numerous telephone conversations.

"You mean like candlelight and music and all that?" Cole had asked, hesitantly.

"Yeah. I'll cook something and we can just stay at home and enjoy the privacy. But I'm warning you, I'm not a good cook. Piper's the chef in our family."

"Why don't I cook then?" Cole had suggested. "It'll be much easier. I'm assuming we're doing this at my place."

"Yeah, but . . . can you cook?"

Cole had laughed. "Not very well," he admitted. "But I know the basics. I'll be able to make something edible."

"If you're sure . . . "

They had agreed on Saturday, which was today. Prue was out of town for the weekend and Phoebe was very kindly giving Piper and Leo a night to themselves. A friend was covering for Phoebe, pretending she would be staying over at her house. In truth, Phoebe was planning to stay with Cole, but there was no way she could ever let Piper and Prue know that.

So, with less than twenty minutes until she was supposed to be at Cole's, Phoebe was running around, trying to finish getting ready.

"Are you sure you don't mind?" It was Piper, who was standing in the doorway of Phoebe's room.

Phoebe sighed. They had been through this a million times already. She didn't have the time to go through it again. "Yes, Piper," she said, exasperated.

"I just don't think it's fair to be kicking you out of the house," Piper said in a worried voice.

Phoebe really didn't have time for this. She searched her dresser for the earrings she wanted to wear. "We've been through this Piper. You're not kicking me out of the house, I volunteered." Deciding she wasn't having any luck finding the missing jewelry, she asked Piper, "Have you seen my earrings?"

"Which ones?" Piper asked, moving into the room to help Phoebe look.

"My new ones," Phoebe said. "You know, the dangly silver ones with the red stones."  
  
"These ones?" Piper asked, holding up the missing earrings.

"Yes," Phoebe exclaimed. "Thanks, Piper. You're a lifesaver."

Phoebe started to put the earrings on and noticed Piper watching her in the mirror. "What?" she asked self-consciously.

"If I didn't know better," Piper said with a smile, "I'd swear you were going out on a date."

Phoebe turned away. She went over to get a hairbrush to cover her actions. "Don't be ridiculous," she said carefully, not looking at Piper.

"You know, it's been awhile since Cole. Maybe you should - "

Phoebe turned around to face her sister. "Not now. I don't want to talk about that now. I'm going to be late if I don't go now." She rushed past Piper and went downstairs. Piper followed her down.

Phoebe was in the kitchen, rummaging through her purse. "Have you seen my keys?" she asked.

Piper raised an eyebrow. "The ones on the counter, you mean?"

Phoebe grabbed them and looked at her sister sheepishly. "Yeah," she said.

Piper rolled her eyes. "What would you do without me?" she asked.

"Become organized?" she suggested.

"You're just lucky you have a sister who's willing to find your things for you."

"You're right," Phoebe agreed. "I'm very lucky. You're the best, Piper."

"Just go," Piper said, exasperated.

Neither of them had noticed the well-worn business card fall from Phoebe's purse onto the floor.

~*~

"You're late," Cole said when he answered the door.

Phoebe winced apologetically. "Yeah, I'm sorry about that. I took longer to get ready than I thought I would."

"It's okay," Cole said. He kissed her cheek and led her inside. "You look lovely. I was just getting a little worried."

"Sorry," Phoebe apologized again. She took off her coat and Cole immediately relieved her of it, hanging it in the hall closet.

"It's okay," Cole said again. They went into the living room. "Dinner isn't quiet ready yet. Do you want anything to drink?"

"Sure," Phoebe said, sitting down on the couch.

He waited a few seconds, then asked, "What would you like?"

She shrugged. "It doesn't matter. Whatever you have."

"Wine okay?" She nodded and he headed off into the kitchen, coming back with two wine glasses, a bottle of white and a corkscrew.

"Hold these," he ordered, handing her the glasses. She complied and he opened the wine.

"Cheers," he toasted, holding up his filled glass.

Phoebe toasted back then took a sip. She wasn't much of a wine drinker, but she knew Cole was. He was the one who always picked out the wine when they went out for dinner and he seemed to have good taste. At least, the stuff he ordered was usually at the more expensive end of things. Phoebe herself wasn't much of a judge. All she knew was she liked the way it tasted.

They sat, drinking their wine. Phoebe suddenly felt nervous, which was strange. She felt as if she were on a blind date, with no idea what to do or to say. "I saw my dad the other day," she said abruptly.

"Your dad?" Cole questioned.

"Yeah. He's moving back to San Francisco."  
  
"That's nice." He frowned curiously. "For some reason, I thought your dad was dead. I mean, didn't your grandmother raise you?

"She did," Phoebe confirmed. "My dad left us years ago."

"Oh." Cole looked like he was going to say more, but a buzzer went off in the kitchen. "That'll be dinner," he said. "I'd better go get it."

Phoebe nodded and took another drink of wine. She sat in uncomfortable silence until Cole stuck his head out of the kitchen a few minutes later. "Dinner's ready," he said. Phoebe got up and followed him into the dining room.

The lights were dim and there was a pair of matching candlesticks adorning the table. Cole was at the stereo, putting on some light, instrumental music that really didn't seem to fit his taste, but fit the romantic atmosphere well. Cole hurried over so he could pull out a chair for Phoebe. She smiled at him as she sat down. Lastly, Cole lit the candles before joining her at the table.

"Pasta," Phoebe observed, looking at the dish in front of her.

"Yeah," Cole said. "It's my specialty." He leaned closer, smiling, and let her in on a secret. "Actually, it's pretty much the only thing I can make without burning. I hope you don't mind."

"No." Phoebe was quick to assure him. She laughed. "I'm not much better," she admitted. "As I said before, Piper's the chef in the family."

They started to eat. The pasta was good. It wasn't spectacular by any standards, but it was still a few notches above barely edible.

"So, what have you been up to?" Cole asked.

"Oh, the usual," answered Phoebe. "School, mostly."

"How're your classes going?'

Phoebe proceeded to tell him. After school, they talked about her father, and although his reconciliation with Prue and Piper was touched upon, Phoebe didn't really go into it. Cole and Prue hadn't got along a the best of times, but now that Prue would just as soon vanquish Cole as look at him, things had gotten worse.

Of course, he had been trying to kill her before. But that thought had no place in Phoebe's head tonight, so she pushed it away.

From her father, the conversation progressed to other topics, and by the end of dinner they were laughing and chatting away, having a great time. All of Phoebe's previous discomfort was long forgotten.

Finally, Cole got up from the table. The music had finished a long time ago, so the room was quiet. "Why don't you find a CD to put on while I clear the table and get dessert."

"You made dessert?" Phoebe asked incredulously. "I don't believe it. You don't seem much like a baking man to me."

Cole made a face. "No," he said. "I bought something from the store. Do you like lemon meringue pie?"

"Mmm," Phoebe murmured, licking her lips.

Cole went off into the kitchen while Phoebe scampered over to the CD player. Cole had a huge selection of music, but most of the CDs weren't what Phoebe liked to listen to, nor did they fit in with the romantic evening. She sat down on the floor by the stereo and started to flip through the Cole's music collection. While doing this, Phoebe started humming to herself.

She smiled to herself when she heard Cole come over and turned around, but her smile faltered when she saw him. Cole had a mixture of panic and horror clearly written on his face. That she could identify it was a bad sign; Phoebe found it really hard to read Cole, who seemed to effortlessly be able to hide his emotions from others.

"What are you humming?" he demanded.

"What?" Phoebe asked, startled. In all honestly, she was barely aware that she had been humming anything at all, let alone what it was.

"The Ice Cream Man's in town, isn't he," Cole said flatly.

"What are you talking about?"

"The Ice Cream Man," Cole repeated. "That's what he goes by these days, isn't it?"

"Yes, he's in town," Phoebe acknowledged.

"Where is he? We have to get rid of him."

"No, Cole!" Phoebe grabbed his arm to restrain him. "He's one of the good guys."

"Good guys?" Cole snarled. "Do you know what he does? He traps kids in that damned playground of his and leaves them for the Nothing."

"No," Phoebe protested. "It's not like that. He doesn't trap kids, just demons."

Cole stared at her in disbelief. "You don't get it, do you," he said.

"What?" Phoebe asked, proving her ignorance.

He shook his head. "Have you ever heard the story of the Pied Piper of Hamelin?" he asked.

"I think so. Something to do with rats, right?"

"The city of Hamelin was infested with rats. The people tried everything, but couldn't get rid of them. Along came this piper who said he could get rid of the rats, for a price, of course. Well, the townspeople were desperate and they agreed. So the piper played his song and the rats were mesmerized. They followed him out of town.

"So, when the piper came back, he wanted his money. But the town wouldn't give it to him. So he took out his pipe and this time it was the children, every last child, who followed him out of town, never to be seen again."

Phoebe felt like one of the children hypnotized by the piper's song, listening to Cole's voice. He continued.

"Imagine being one of those children, enchanted by the piper's music. Following him, almost certainly to your death, but unable to stop yourself. All you can do is follow the music.

"Then imagine you reach your destination and it is the Playground. You're trapped. It's like going through the looking glass; nothing makes sense, the place has rules of its own. All you can do is sit and wait for the Nothing to come.

"You can try to run, and sometimes you'll be lucky. Sometimes the Nothing will grab the kid next to you. But you know it's only a matter of time before your luck runs out.

"You don't even get to die a proper death. Instead, you become nothing. You simply cease to exist. You never were; you will never be again."

When Cole finished Phoebe was chilled. She hadn't thought of it in that way before. It was a few minutes before she could find her voice again, a few minutes of absolute silence where they could only hear each another breath. The only light came from the erratic flickering of the candles that cast light and shadow indiscriminately. It was no wonder Phoebe had shivers running up and down her back; it was the atmosphere.

At last she was able to object, "But we're not talking about innocent little children here, Cole. We're talking about demons."

"And so that makes it okay?" Cole demanded. "They're still children."

"They're demons," Phoebe cried. His speech had made her uncomfortable and she felt the need to justify her actions.

"I'm a demon!" Cole shouted and his words struck Phoebe like a physical blow. She flinched involuntarily. "Or have you forgotten?" he added spitefully, noting her reaction.

"I haven't forgotten," Phoebe said, sticking her chin out defiantly. She was lying, of course. "But you're half-human."

"Do you think he cared?" Cole yelled. "Do you think it made a difference?" His voice dropped, and again he started a story that held Phoebe in spellbound horror. "Do you know what it's like to hear that song and know that you must follow it? I knew what it was, what it meant, but I couldn't help myself. I watched as my friend was sucked up right beside me. And the only reason I didn't go with him was because my human half allowed me to resist the song to some extent. Even then, I barely escaped with my life.

"Do you know what it's like," his voice dropped even lower and Phoebe had to strain to hear him, "when I was the only one left who could remember him? I knew exactly when the Nothing got him. Everyone I knew suddenly stopped remembering who he was, that he had even lived. He had been erased from existence."

Phoebe shook her head slowly. "No," she said. "It's not like that."

"Isn't it?" he asked. "Tell me, Phoebe. The kids that were trapped, what did they look like?"

There was a girl, wasn't there? With freckles? She had this power, it was an active power, it was . . . What was it? And there was a boy . . . was a boy . . .

Cole smiled dreadfully at the alarm on Phoebe's face. "See Phoebe?" he said. "You can't."

"But me dad, my dad," Phoebe stuttered. "He remembered. When Prue was little. He remembered the boy."

"Your dad's mortal. How else do you think I was the only one who remembered? Because I'm half-human."

"No . . . no." Phoebe tried to deny it, even though she knew Cole was speaking the truth.

But Cole was merciless. He went on. "You know my friend? It took a month for the Nothing to finally get him. A month," he emphasized. "Imagine living in terror in that Playground for a whole month, knowing that you were living on borrowed time. You can run, you can hide, but the Nothing will get you in the end."

Phoebe couldn't take it anymore. She backed away. "I - I - I have to go." She ran out of the room, barely remembering to put on her coat and shoes before leaving the house. Cole just stayed where he was, still as a statue except for his ragged breathing. The candles eventually burned out, leaving him in utter darkness.

~*~

Phoebe didn't remember how she got home or how much time had lapsed since she had left Cole's house. All she knew was it was dark and quiet and everyone had gone to bed by the time she got home. Not bothering to turn on any lights, she stumbled upstairs where she fell into bed and sank into a deep, dreamless sleep. She hadn't even had time to take off her shoes.

End The Piper's Song


	4. Untangling the Web

**Secrets and Lies: Untangling the Web  
by Trinity Day**

**Posted: Wednesday, January 31, 2001  
Revisions: Sunday, January 18, 2004**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Charmed. I'm just playing with them for my own (and, hopefully, those who are reading the story's) amusement.**

**Summary: What if Cole hadn't disappeared from Phoebe's life for several months after she pretended to vanquish him? What if they continued their relationship? What if Phoebe's sisters found out? _Untangling the Web_ - in which Leo tries to discover the secret Phoebe's hiding.**

**Author's Notes: I wrote this years ago. I've made minor revisions, but they're mostly just spelling and grammar. Originally it was part of a series, starting with "Guilt", but I've combined them together for easier reading. ****As of this part, the series branch off from the show. The last episode, show canon, that is accepted for these stories is "We All Scream for Ice Cream". It has now taken another direction.**

_//"He's still alive," Phoebe said. There was a pause where Leo digested the information. Then she tacked on, "For me. He's still alive for me."//_

Leo still didn't know what to make of it. He couldn't figure out whether Phoebe added the "for me" part to cover up what she had done or if she actually meant it and added it only to clarify.

If Leo could get headaches, he would have one now. A really, really bad headache. He couldn't figure out if Belthazor was still alive and it was driving him crazy.

It was also giving him a really bad temper. He didn't like not knowing whether a threat to the girls' safety was still out there or not. And the Powers that Be were, as usual, keeping quiet on the matter.

Neither Piper nor Prue had commented on Phoebe acting differently, so Leo was almost convinced that his young charge was still just a little subdued from finding out her boyfriend was a demon trying to kill her and her sisters, and then having to vanquish him. Of course, she might also be acting that way because she was hiding her not-dead demon boyfriend.

All he knew for sure was he wasn't going to bring Piper or Prue into this until he had more evidence than just some odd behaviour. He would be keeping an eye on Phoebe.

~*~

"Hey Piper, Leo," greeted Prue. She had just come home from her weekend out of town. "How was your weekend?"

"Great," Piper said. She was at the stove, making omelets for a late brunch. "How was yours?"

"Ugh." Prue made a face. "Awful. Boring. Completely pointless."

"What happened?" Piper asked, but before Prue could answer, Phoebe came into the kitchen.

"Phoebe!" Prue exclaimed. "What happened to you?"

Phoebe looked awful. Her eyes looked raw and unless Leo was mistaken, she was still wearing the same clothes from the night before. She didn't answer Prue, she just dropped on to a chair at the kitchen table with a thud. She looked stunned.

Seeing no answer was forthcoming from Phoebe, Prue turned on Piper and Leo. "What happened to her?"

"I don't know," Piper said, looking just as worried as her older sister. They both turned to Leo.

"Don't look at me," he said defensively. "I didn't even know she was home."

Forgetting all about the food, Piper went over to Phoebe. Prue scowled at Leo before going to join her sisters.

"Phoebe, honey," Piper said, kneeling down beside the youngest Halliwell. "What's wrong?"

"Did something happen?" Prue asked from the other side of Phoebe.

Phoebe finally snapped back to life. "I don't feel so good," she moaned.

Piper's hand instinctively went to her younger sister's forehead. "You don't feel warm," she said fretfully.

"I don't feel good," Phoebe repeated.

"Come on, sweetie," Prue said, helping Phoebe up. "Let's get you up to bed."

Phoebe, too weak to protest, allowed herself to be led off by her two sisters.

__

So much for brunch, Leo thought to himself. He knew Piper and Prue would spend the rest of the day fussing over Phoebe. He didn't blame them, either. Phoebe looked pretty bad.

With nothing else to do, Leo started to clean up the kitchen. The omelet was ruined anyway. This way Piper didn't have to worry about it.

He was sweeping when he noticed a business card on the floor. He bent over to pick it up. It was for a Chinese restaurant downtown. Leo started to throw it out, then by chance flipped it over and saw a handwritten phone number. There was no name, just a number. Whosever it was, they seemed to have used it often. At least, it looked like it had been handled a lot. Pocketing it, Leo made a note to ask Piper and Prue about it later.

"Do we have any orange juice?" Piper asked, coming in and opening the fridge door.

"I don't think so," said Leo.

"Would you mind running to the store and getting some?"

"Not at all," Leo answered honestly. "Do you want me to pick up anything else while I'm gone?"

"Yeah. Ginger ale and soda crackers, just in case."

"How's she doing?" Leo asked.

"Not too badly," replied Piper. "I mean, she feels awful, but at least she doesn't have a fever. If she stays in bed resting today, she'll probably be fine tomorrow."

Leo kissed Piper gently. "She'll be fine," he said. He started to leave, but remembered the business card. "Oh," he said, turning around. "I found this. Is it yours?"

Piper looked at the business care, confused. "I don't think so. Why don't you ask Prue? It might be hers."

Leo nodded and left.

~*~

"Hey Prue," Leo said, coming into the kitchen. He set the grocery bags on the counter. "How's the patient."

"Sleeping," Prue said, helping him put the groceries away. She held up a bag of chips. "I thought Piper sent you to get things for Phoebe, not junk."

"I just thought I'd pick up a few more things while I was out," he explained. "So did you find out what happened?"

Prue shook her head. "Phoebe wasn't exactly in the mood for talking."

"Well, did you phone her friend? Maybe she knows."

"No." Prue stopped and frowned thoughtfully. "That's odd. Come to think of it, I don't even remember who she was going out with."

"Nether do I," Leo said.

"I'll go ask Piper," said Prue. She started to leave the kitchen, but Leo stopped her.

"Prue, does this belong to you?" He held out the business card for inspection.

Prue looked at it. "No," she said, handing it back to the whitelighter.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes," Prue said. "Why don't you ask Piper? It might be hers."

"It isn't," Leo said slowly, but Prue had already left the room. He stared at the card with growing suspicion and hoped, for all the Halliwells' sake, he was wrong and Piper knew whom Phoebe had spent the night with.

~*~

By dinnertime, Phoebe had an explanation. Leo, Piper and Prue were all gathered around her bed, which she was still laying in. Phoebe was pale, but other than that, seemed to be doing much better.

"Sorry to worry you," she said.

"Don't worry, hon," Prue said. "We're your older sisters. It's our job to worry about you."

"So what happened?" Piper asked.

"Well, I was out last night - but I guess you know that part." She grinned. "I wasn't feeling so well, so I came home. Now, I knew you and Leo were supposed to have a romantic evening alone - " This was directed to Piper, " - and I didn't want to ruin it. So I snuck in and fell straight to sleep."

"You shouldn't have done that, Pheebs," Piper said. Her guilt over being responsible for, in her words, "kicking Phoebe out of her own home" had only augmented with Phoebe's illness.

"No," Phoebe insisted stubbornly. "It was okay. Don't start on a guilt trip again."

"Who were you with?" Leo asked suddenly.

"What?" The question seemed to puzzle Phoebe.

"You were going out with a friend, weren't you? Who was it?"

"We couldn't remember who it was earlier," Prue explained. Her tones were soft, as if to convince Phoebe she wasn't on trial, despite the harshness of Leo's voice. "We wanted to see what happened, but couldn't remember who you had gone out with."

"Oh," Phoebe said. "One of my classmates. I don't think you've met her."

"Who?" Piper asked.

"Mandy." No one recognized the name. "She's in a couple of my classes and we thought we'd hang."

"Where did you go?" Again, it was Leo who asked the question.

"Where did we go?" Phoebe repeated before answering, "To a party. A college party. On campus. I don't know whose, exactly."

"I'm sure at least half the people there didn't know whose party it was, either," Piper joked. Phoebe managed a weak smile.

"What time did you get back?" Prue and Piper glared at the whitelighter, but Phoebe didn't notice.

"I don't know," Phoebe said. She was looking down at her hands.

"About when?" Leo's persistent questioning earned him a whack in the arm courtesy of his loving girlfriend.

"I don't know," Phoebe repeated.

"That doesn't matter," Piper interjected before Leo could ask anything else. "Leo, could I speak to you for a sec?"

Leo hated those words, especially when they were coupled with the sickeningly sweet yet deadly tone of voice Piper was currently using.

"Sure," he said, wishing he were anywhere but there. Why couldn't the Elders ever summon him at a good time, like when he was trying to avoid one of the sisters, instead of interrupting him and Piper when they had a chance for a romantic moment, as inevitably happened.

Piper pulled Leo out of the room. "What are you doing in there?" she hissed. "Phoebe's not on trial here, she's not the bad guy. She's sick and you're giving her the third degree. Give her a break."

"I'm sorry," Leo apologized. "I'm just worried about her." Technically speaking, that was the truth. Leo was worried Phoebe had gotten herself into a lot of trouble by lying about Belthazor's death. But he wasn't about to tell Piper that.

Somewhat appeased, she said, "Okay. Just don't do it again."

"I won't," Leo said. Piper went back into Phoebe's room. Of course, that was when the Elders chose to summon him.

~*~

Leo didn't return to the manor until the next morning. Both Prue and Piper were working, so he and Phoebe were alone in the house.

Leo pulled the mysterious business card out from his pocket once again and stared at it, finally reaching a decision. He shouldn't do what he was about to do, Leo knew, but he was going to do in anyway.

He reached for the phone and dialed the number. It rang once, twice, three times. Finally, after about the fifth or sixth ring, the answering machine picked up.

"No one's here right now. Leave a message after the beep." The voice was male, but otherwise nondescript. It seemed somewhat familiar, but Leo couldn't decide whether that was because of the distortion the telephone gave to the voice or because the whitelighter knew it from somewhere.

Leo stared in disappointment at the receiver. He hadn't known what to expect, but thought he would have learned something, at least.

"Hey, Leo," Phoebe said, bounding down the stairs. I didn't realize you were back."

Leo whirled around and clumsily tried to hand up the phone behind his back. "Phoebe," he said.

"What's up?" Phoebe asked.

"Nothing," Leo said quickly.

Phoebe didn't believe him, which was understandable, considering Leo's behaviour. He just wasn't good at lying. "Nothing," he said again to counter her raised eyebrows. "See?" He spread his empty hands in front of him.

"Okay." Phoebe gave him an odd look, but let it go. She went into the kitchen.

It was then that Leo noticed the phone was off the hook. He hung it up and waited a few second before trying the number again, hoping if he heard the voice again, he might learn more. This time, he got a busy signal.

Leo frowned at the phone. Then, wondering if perhaps the busy signal was a side effect of trying again too soon, he hung up the phone again and waited a full minute to redial. The line was still busy.

Twice more Leo tried and twice more he was unable to get through. He only stopped when Phoebe came back into the room.

"Who're you trying to call?" she asked, seeming only mildly curious about the answer.

"Nobody," was the automatic response. Then Leo reconsidered. "Is this yours?" he asked.

Phoebe paled when she saw the business card. "Where did you find that?" she asked in a shaky voice.

"It was on the kitchen floor," Leo said. "Is it yours?"

"Is that who you called?" Phoebe demanded.

"Is it yours?" Leo challenged.

They were at a standoff, neither of them wanting to answer the other's question. Phoebe caved in first. "It's mine," she admitted. "Is that who you called?"

Still, Leo did not answer. "Whose number is it, Phoebe?" The Charmed One looked away, unwilling to meet his eyes any longer. "Whose is it?" Leo repeated. Still nothing. Finally, Leo moved in for the blow. "Is Belthazor really dead?"

Phoebe looked up again. Unshed tears filled her eyes. She lifted her chin slightly, as if to give the illusion of dignity or pride.

"No. He's not."

End Untangling the Web


	5. Forgiveness

**Secrets and Lies: Forgiveness  
by Trinity Day**

**Posted: Tuesday, December 25, 2001  
Revisions: Sunday, January 18, 2004**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Charmed. I'm just playing with them for my own (and, hopefully, those who are reading the story's) amusement.**

**Summary: What if Cole hadn't disappeared from Phoebe's life for several months after she pretended to vanquish him? What if they continued their relationship? What if Phoebe's sisters found out? _Forgiveness_ - in which Phoebe and Cole meet up again.**

**Author's Notes: I wrote this years ago. I've made minor revisions, but they're mostly just spelling and grammar. Originally it was part of a series, starting with "Guilt", but I've combined them together for easier reading. **

When Cole stepped out of the shower, he heard the phone ring. He froze for a minute - Phoebe was the only one with his number - then dashed downstairs without even bothering to wrap a towel around himself. If he had been thinking, he would have realized that shimmering down would have been quicker, but he hadn't been thinking straight since Phoebe had run of the other night.

It was amazing how, even after living as a demon for roughly a century, his human instincts sometimes took over. Later on he would realize that it had been a blessing in disguised, but when he heard the telltale click of the machine picking it up when he was only halfway downstairs, all he could do was curse.

After the message telling the caller to leave a message came on, the person on the other line didn't speak, but Cole wasn't surprised. If Phoebe had finally worked up the courage to call him, she had probably been scared off when she reached the machine. Cole had reached the phone and was just about to pick up and talk when he realized Phoebe was talking, but not into the phone.

"Hey Leo." Her voice was distant, but Cole could recognize it instantly.

It was the whitelighter who answered. "Phoebe."

Cole stood rooted to the spot as Phoebe asked, "What's up?"

"Nothing," Leo said quickly, then he repeated, though not very convincingly, "Nothing. See?"

"Okay," Phoebe answered.

Finally Leo or Phoebe noticed that they hadn't hung up the phone yet and the machine went dead. Cole stared for a few more seconds, then lunged at it and ripped the cord from the wall. For good measure he also threw a fireball at it, ruining both the machine and the telephone permanently.

There was no doubt about it. Leo knew.

~*~

"I can't believe you, Phoebe!" Leo yelled. "How could you lie to us about something that important?"

"Well, what was I supposed to say?" Phoebe demanded. "That I hadn't killed him and he was really still out there? What do you think Prue and Piper would have done then? They wouldn't have rested until he was dead!"

"And they'd have a good reason for that, too!" Leo snapped. "Belthazor is a _demon_, Phoebe, and he tried to kill you."

"_Cole_ has changed," Phoebe said, stressing his human name. "He's not trying to kill us anymore."

"And how can you be sure of that? For all you know, Belthazor is just biding his time, waiting for the right opportunity to kill you all."

"He isn't," Phoebe said with passionate conviction.

"How can you be so sure?"

"Cole's had plenty of opportunities to kill me, but he hasn't. He hasn't tried to do _anything_ since I pretended to vanquish him."

Leo was still doubtful. "And what if he's just waiting for an opportunity to get rid of all three of you together at once?"

"He's not," Phoebe declared.

"How do you know that?"

"I just do!" She was screaming now.

"You can't!" Leo argued, also losing his temper.

"Wow." Both Leo and Phoebe whirled around. They hadn't heard Piper and Prue walk in. The latter continued, "The two of you screaming at each other? I don't think I ever expected to see that. What are you fighting about?"

The question hung in the air. Leo was unwilling to rat on Phoebe - or at least he was willing to give her the chance to come clean herself first.

Piper looked from her boyfriend to her sister. "What's going on, you two?"

Setting his jaw, Leo said, "Phoebe has something to tell you."

Both Piper and Prue turned to stare at their younger sister. "Phoebe?" Prue asked. "Honey, what is it?"

Phoebe bit her lip.

"Is something wrong?" Piper asked anxiously. She probably was afraid another demon had attacked.

"No," Phoebe answered.

Leo cleared his throat meaningfully. Phoebe glared at him and repeated more firmly, "No."

"I think you do," Leo said.

"Phoebe?" Prue asked, looking between Leo and Phoebe and seeming confused. "What's going on?"

No one answered. The silence dragged on. Phoebe wouldn't look anyone in the eye.

"Leo?" Piper's voice had a slightly hysterical edge to it. "What's wrong? What aren't you telling us?"

Leo looked at Phoebe, still wanting her to be the one to tell her sisters. She didn't move. Finally, the whitelighter spoke. "Belthazor's alive."

He hadn't even finished the sentence when Phoebe took off. Before either Prue or Piper could even digest the words, she had run out of the house and slammed the door behind her.

She had been doing entirely too much running these last few days.

~*~

Phoebe stood in front of the door to Cole's house. She had been standing there for five minutes, but she still hadn't worked up the courage to ring the doorbell. Earlier she had tried to phone him, but after desperately trying twelve times and getting a busy signal each time, she had finally given up. Remembering their fight from the other night, she wondered what Cole would do if he saw her. He obviously was still upset; why else wouldn't he be answering the phone?

Finally, knowing she had nowhere else to go and no one else to turn to, she took a deep breath, closed her eyes and rung the doorbell. She tried to wait patiently, but there weren't even any windows for her to peek in and see if he was coming. She managed to count to one hundred before ringing it again. Still there was no answer.

She tried the knob and was surprised to find it open. "Hello?" she called out to the empty house, cautiously going inside. "Anybody home? Cole?"

There was still no answer. She turned around to close the door and jumped when she saw Cole standing there.

"God," she said, breathing heavily. She pressed her right hand against her racing heart. "You scared me. What are you doing, lurking behind the door?"

Cole ignored her question and asked one of his own. "What are you doing here, Phoebe?"

"I came to see you. Why didn't you answer the door?"

"What are you doing here?" Cole repeated, a little more forcefully.

Phoebe faltered. "I came to see you," she said, but she didn't even sound convincing to herself. She didn't want to _think_ about how she sounded to Cole.

"Why?" Cole asked harshly.

"I just wanted to see you," Phoebe said in a small voice.

"Is that the only reason?" Cole asked.

Instead of answering him, she exclaimed, "What's wrong, Cole? Why are you acting like this?"

"Leo knows, Phoebe."

Phoebe's eyes widened. "How do you know that? Were you spying on us?"

Cole shook his head in exasperation and motioned to the other room. Phoebe looked and saw the remains of his telephone, charred, on the table. "He phoned."

"You talked to him?" Phoebe asked, shocked. She hadn't realized Leo had already known as a fact that Cole was alive when he had confronted her.

"Not quite," Cole said. "He phoned, but got the machine."

"And you decided to fry it?" Phoebe asked.

"Pretty much. So why are you here?"

"I came to tell you that Leo knew," Phoebe admitted. "But I guess you already know that."

"I guess I did," Cole answered harshly. "Why else are you here."

Startled at the anger in his voice, Phoebe quickly said, "Nothing."

Cole didn't look like he believed her. "And just when are your sisters coming?"

Wondering where that comment had come from, Phoebe asked, "What? What are you talking about?"

To her amazement, Cole laughed. It came out as a rough bark and wasn't at all pleasant to hear. "You didn't even realize, did you?" he asked. It was a rhetorical question. "Your sisters can track you, are probably tracking you right now. I expect them to show up any minute now."

Phoebe's mouth dropped open and she looked at Cole with genuine shock. She had never thought of that, but now that he had brought it up, it would be just like here sisters to track her down. "I didn't - I - I didn't," Phoebe stammered.

Just then, the screech of a car pulling up the driveway could be heard.

Cole smiled grimly. "Just on time," he said. He began to shimmer away.

"Wait! Cole!" At the last possible second, Phoebe grabbed onto Cole's arm and shimmered away with him.

Prue, Piper and Leo burst in to the empty house a minute later.

~*~

Shimmering was just as nauseating as it had been the first time, even though Phoebe was prepared for it this time. When they arrived at their destination, she felt her knees go out and would have fallen, except for that Cole caught her. He let go of her again quickly, but not before he saw that she was steady on her feet.

Phoebe looked around. They were in the mausoleum where she had pretended to vanquish him almost a month earlier.

"Why'd you do that Phoebe?" The anger had finally left Cole's voice and resignation was the only thing left.

Phoebe felt some of Cole's earlier fury seep into her. "I wasn't going to let you just run away like that."

"Why?" Cole asked sarcastically. Apparently the fight hadn't completely left him after all. "I'm sure if you give them the time your sisters could track us down here, too."

"That's not what I meant," snapped Phoebe.

"Then what did you mean, Phoebe?"

"You can't just keep running away like this, running away from me," she said.

"Oh, that's rich, coming from you," Cole said. "Weren't you the one who ran away from me the other night?"

Phoebe shifted uncomfortably, remembering. "That was different," she said. "I was upset."

"Oh," Cole said, unforgiving. "You were upset. I'm sorry, I didn't realize that."

"Will you stop being such an asshole?" Phoebe asked in frustration. "I'm trying to apologize here, and you aren't making it any easier."

Cole was rendered speechless. "You . . . what?" he managed to get out at last.

"I'm apologizing - or at least I'm trying to. I don't think I'm doing a very good job of it," Phoebe said. "Why? What did you think I was doing?"

Cole shook his head quickly. "Nothing. It doesn't matter."

She didn't bother trying to figure out what he meant by that. "Look Cole, I'm sorry," Phoebe began. "I'm sorry I ran away like that. I shouldn't have."

"You had a rude awakening." His voice was understanding and Phoebe knew that she had been forgiven. "Phoebe, I'm - I'm sorry too. For acting like such an asshole earlier." He grinned at her. It was weak and uneasy, but it was real.

Phoebe smiled back, a little unsure of herself as well. "If you can forgive me for running away, then I can forgive you for being upset about it," she said.

"And what about your sisters?"

Grimacing, Phoebe said, "Leave my sisters to me."

"Are you sure?"

Phoebe nodded. "I can handle them."

"We can't stay here much longer," Cole told her. "They tracked you to my house, they can track you here."

Knowing that he was right, Phoebe looked down at her feet. "Will you - can I phone you later?"

"No." Not expecting that answer, Phoebe looked up in shock. Cole explained. "My phone is a little worst for the wear, in case you've forgotten. Besides, it's too risky now that people know I'm alive and living there."

Phoebe almost said not to worry, that it was just her sisters, but she bit her lip at the last moment.

Continuing, Cole said, "If you need to talk to me, come and wait for me here. But come alone, or I won't show up."

Feeling a little betrayed that Cole would think such things of her, again Phoebe almost said something and again stopped herself before the words came out. She deserved that. When she did speak, her voice sounded small. "Maybe you should take me back to the manor."

Cole nodded and took her by the arm and together they shimmered. The more practice she got, the more Phoebe enjoyed the sensation. It was mere seconds before the front hall of her house came into sight. Her sisters and Leo weren't home yet.

Letting go of her, Cole took a step back and was about to shimmer away again when Phoebe stopped him.

"Wait," she said.

He looked at her expectantly.

Hesitating only for a moment, Phoebe made up her mind. She quickly ran to him, and before she could change her mind, kissed him, and whispered, "Be careful."

At first stunned, Cole recovered quickly. He nodded grimly and left.

Phoebe sat back and waited for her sisters to arrive.

End Forgiveness


	6. Understanding

**Secrets and Lies: Understanding  
by Trinity Day**

**Posted: Sunday, January 18, 2004**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Charmed. I'm just playing with them for my own (and, hopefully, those who are reading the story's) amusement.**

**Summary: What if Cole hadn't disappeared from Phoebe's life for several months after she pretended to vanquish him? What if they continued their relationship? What if Phoebe's sisters found out? _Understanding_ - in which Phoebe, Piper and Prue come to an understanding about Phoebe and Cole's relationship.**

**Author's Notes: I started this years ago. Actually, I started the series over three years ago. I started this particular part almost two years ago. And then I fell out of the fandom. I'm still not back, but I promised to finish this eventually, so here you go. Even though most of you won't remember it from the first time around, I hope you enjoyed it nonetheless. It was certainly an accomplishment for me. **

They burst into the manor. Prue was first, but Leo and Piper weren't far behind. Phoebe waited calmly for them on the couch, her hands folded neatly in her lap. She had known that her sisters would come to her, and that she wouldn't have to wait for long.

Sure enough, the second Prue spotted her, she came tearing into the room, moving faster than she would if a demon were on her trail – or, knowing Prue, it would be more likely that said demon would be in the room and Prue's hands were itching to vanquish its sorry butt back to hell where it belonged.

"What were you thinking? Were you even thinking? How could you be so irresponsible? This is bad, even for you!"

Phoebe sat patiently, knowing Prue would wear herself out – eventually. Roughly five minutes later, red in the face, Prue paused for a breath, inhaling sharply and exhaling again. Phoebe took it to mean that she was too angry to continue, something she hadn't thought was possible for her vocal elder sister.

Unfortunately, Piper was more than willing to take her place. "You lied to us," she accused. "You lied to us, first by telling us you had vanquished Cole when you hadn't, then you continued lying to us. God, Phoebe, you were seeing him! Behind our backs. How could you do that? You know who he is – what he is."

"You should have known better," Leo added.

Piper turned on her husband. "Don't you start," she said, chewing him out. "You knew about this and you didn't tell us."

"To be fair," Phoebe said, "he didn't know for a fact until about five minutes before you did."

"But he suspected, and that doesn't excuse him." Then, remembering that her argument was with Phoebe, not Leo, Piper whirled back to face her sister, stabbing a finger at her chest. "It doesn't excuse you, either! I can't believe you, Phoebe. Of all the stunts you have ever pulled, I think this has got to be the worse."

Phoebe had been prepared to take quite a beating from her sister, but she could only sit back and let them insult her for so long before she had to lash out herself. "Now just wait a minute," she said. "What I did isn't that bad."

"You lied to us about killing Belthazor! Belthazor, the same demon who has been trying to kill us for the last three months!"

"He isn't trying to kill us!" Phoebe yelled back.

"Open your eyes, Phoebe," Prue, who had finally regained her voice, exploded. "He's just using you to get to us!"

"Then why hasn't he?" Phoebe asked. "He's had more than enough opportunities. You thought he was dead! He could have come in here at any time and killed you while you slept, yet he didn't. Do you know how much time I've spent with him on my own? He could have killed me any one of those times, but he didn't. You didn't know where I was; you wouldn't have been able to help me."

"About what about the two months before that? When Belthazor was actively trying to kill us in any way possible. Have you forgotten about that?" asked Prue.

"But he's changed," Phoebe said, pleading with her sister to understand. "Can't you see that?"

"And what if he decides to change back? What if he decides he's sick of being on the run from the Source? What then, Phoebe?" Prue challenged.

Phoebe turned her head away, refusing to give any credence to the little voice in the back of her head that was agreeing with what Prue was saying. When she quieted the voice, she turned back to Prue and said lowly and painstakingly, "I love him."

"No, you don't," Prue replied.

Shoving herself off the couch, Phoebe stood right in Prue's face. The elder Halliwell refused to back down. "Don't presume to tell me what I do and don't feel."

"Maybe if you were mature enough to have the right feelings on your own, I wouldn't have to."

"Okay – break it up." Piper got in between her two sisters, elbowing them away from each other. Phoebe sat back down on the couch heavily and folded her arms across her chest. Prue glared at Piper.

"Prue, Phoebe's right." Prue snorted, but didn't interrupt. Piper continued, "You have no right telling her what she does or doesn't feel."

"I do when what she thinks she's feeling puts the rest of us in danger," Prue said hotly.

"That's it," Piper said, stomping her foot in frustration. "Both of you just shut up. Didn't Gran ever teach you if you can't say nothing nice, don't say anything at all?"

"She started it," Phoebe pouted.

"Oh that's real mature," retorted Prue.

"What did I just say?" asked Piper and her two sisters fell silent. "Prue, sit down and we're going to discuss this matter as rational adults. Do you think you can handle it?"

"I think Phoebe has more than demonstrated that she is not a rational adult."

"Prue," Piper said furiously. Prue still looked angry, but acquiesced to her sister's wishes and sat down on the couch – as far away from Phoebe as was possible.

When everyone was settled, Piper sat down on a chair facing them and took a deep breath. "Okay. This is what we're going to do. We're each going to have a turn to speak. We're going to listen to each other's point of view. And we're not going to interrupt. Is that understood?"

Phoebe and Prue both nodded reluctantly, than glared at each other. Near the back of the room, Leo unobtrusively sat down himself, not wanting to interrupt and bring the attention back on him.

"Phoebe," Piper started, shifting her body towards her youngest sister, "you have to admit that you knew what you were doing was wrong – that not telling us Belthazor was still alive was wrong. Otherwise you would have told us."

Prue opened her mouth to speak, but Piper shot her down with a stare. "It's Phoebe's turn to speak," she said. Then, turning back to Phoebe, she added, deceptively sweetly, "Phoebe?"

"I didn't tell you because I knew you would react like this," Phoebe said.

Piper could see that Prue was dying to speak, so she acknowledged her. After having been given permission, Prue replied, "How else did you expect us to react? He tried to kill us numerous times."

Without waiting for Piper to allow her to speak, Phoebe said, "But he changed. Even before we knew, he had plenty of chances to kill me. He never did. When we had lost our powers, what did he do? He told me to go home and sort things out. I was never more vulnerable than I was then."

"So we're supposed to forgive him because he had a momentary lapse?" Prue asked. Piper's idea to have them take turns talking had been forgotten, but the middle Halliwell didn't mind seeing as her goal to have Prue and Phoebe talk to each other in a civilized manner had been reached.

"It wasn't a momentary lapse, it was a turning point," Phoebe argued. "He hasn't tried to kill me – or any of us – since."

"He tried to kill you not ten minutes later, remember? He attacked us before we got our powers back."

"That wasn't him, and you know it. He was possessed," Phoebe said.

"He held a knife to your throat when we realized what he was," Piper pointed out. "You consider that not trying to kill you?"

"And he saved my life less than five minutes later, when the bounty hunter tried to kill me."

"Phoebe, he's dangerous."

"He loves me. And I love him. And really, there's nothing you can do about it. You can either accept the fact, or else hate me. But it won't change my mind. So you're going to have to stay angry for the rest of my life if you can't accept this."

"Phoebe, be reasonable," Piper said.

"I am being reasonable," Phoebe said obstinately. "I'm sorry it has to come to this, but if that's the way it's going to be, then so be it. Either you learn to accept Cole or else I'll leave if I have to."

"Phoebe!" Piper exclaimed. "You can't do that!"

"But what about the Power of Three?" Leo said, entering into the conversation for the first time. Up until now he had been content to let the sisters duke it out among themselves, but this ultimatum was too much for him. He had to speak up. "You know you can't leave or else you risk breaking the Power of Three. That would be . . . _disastrous_! You know that."

"You can do that. You can't threaten us like that. You're being completely selfish."

"Phoebe's right," Prue said suddenly, surprising everyone in the room. Phoebe bit her lip, afraid that her plan had backfired and Prue was going to kick her out of the house.

"Phoebe's not right," Piper argued. "We are _not_ going to never talk to her again, Prue."

"I wasn't planning to," Prue said. An impossible idea entered Phoebe's head.

"Then wha…" Piper trailed off as the idea struck her, too. "You can't possibly mean – "

But it seemed that Prue did. "Phoebe is an adult now. She may not act like much, but she is grown-up so we have to start listening to her judgement. Even if we don't agree with it, we have to give her the benefit of the doubt."

Phoebe still couldn't believe what she was hearing. Prue – _Prue_ of all people – was agreeing with her? "What?" was all Phoebe managed to say.

Piper was only a little more coherent. "You can't possibly be serious."

"Why not?" challenged Prue. "What Phoebe did, not telling us Belthazor was alive, was wrong and irresponsible. But you heard her. Either we learn to live with him, or else Phoebe leaves. Besides the fact that will break the Power of Three, I want him close, not God-knows-where with Phoebe, with no way to get in touch with either of them. No way of knowing if something happens." Her tone of voice made it clear that she believed if anything happened, it would be, without a doubt, Cole's fault.

"Cole wouldn't do anything to hurt me," Phoebe insisted. "He loves me."

"I don't trust him," Prue said bluntly. "He's hurt you before."

"And he's changed." They were back to the same old argument. Prue just wouldn't accept the fact that Cole could be changed by his love for Phoebe.

"Nothing you can say will change my mind about Belthazor – "

"Cole," Phoebe corrected, glowering.

"Belthazor," Prue repeated with a little more emphasis. "But I said I was willing to give you the benefit of the doubt, Phoebe, and I'm not taking that back. I'm on your side here."

"You say I'm right, but you aren't going to trust him. How is that considered being on my side?" Phoebe asked.

"I'm willing to accept your relationship with him," Prue said, with a touch of impatience.

"Remember, this is Prue we're talking about. To ask her to accept a relationship you're in is asking a lot. Never mind that the guy in question is a demon." Piper sounded weary, but there was the barest hint of a smile in her eyes as she spoke.

"Hey!" Prue protested, but she smiled tentatively, too, at the teasing.

"It's true," Piper insisted. "Name one boyfriend Phoebe's brought home that you liked."

Prue hesitated, mentally running through a list of all the guys Phoebe had ever dated. "It's not my fault no one Phoebe brings home is good enough for my baby sister." Normally the sisters would have laughed, or at least cracked genuine smiles, but their nerves were still frayed from the earlier fight. Instead, they accepted it as a step back towards the camaraderie they normally shared being sisters.

"So what do you say?" Phoebe asked Piper.

Piper sighed, but recognized that if Prue wasn't going to raise a fuss, then she would have to accept Phoebe and Cole's relationship as well. "I agree with Prue," she said slowly. "I'm willing to give Bel – Cole another chance. I can't guarantee that I'll trust him, but I will give him a chance."

"Leo?"

"I don't like this. But it is your decision," he included all three sisters in the 'you,' "so I can't say anything."

"You aren't going to tell the Elders?" Phoebe asked.

"That Belthazor's alive? Yes, I have to. They'll find out anyway, if they don't already know. About you and him?" Even though he paused for only the slightest of seconds, Phoebe found herself holding her breath nonetheless. "No."

"But won't they find out about that, too?" Piper asked.

"Eventually," Leo admitted. "And I'll deal with that if it happens." He didn't mention it, but Phoebe had to wonder if the fact that the Elders also forbade his and Piper's romance had anything to do with his leniency towards her and Cole.

"Thank you," Phoebe said, incredibly grateful to all of them.

"We still don't trust him," Prue reminded her, on the off chance that Phoebe had missed the first dozen times she'd said the same thing.

Phoebe bit back a sarcastic reply. "I'm not asking you to," she said instead, adding the word "yet" in her mind. It was best to work slowly, taking one step at a time.

"And we want to meet him," Prue added.

Again, Phoebe bit her tongue to hold back an automatic rejection to the idea. "Why? You've already met him."

"I meant for real this time," Prue said. "No more secrets, no more pretending, no more lies."

Even Piper was a little disconcerted at this request. Obviously as concerned as Phoebe was that Prue might forget herself and hurt Cole if she came face to face with him, she said, "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"If he's going to be dating my little sister, then I want to at least get the chance to talk to him." Seeing that the nervous expressions remained on her sisters' faces, Prue rolled her eyes and exclaimed, "I said talk, not beat up. I'm not going to hurt him."

Her words didn't do much to comfort Phoebe, but since Piper had turned to Phoebe, her patented middle-sister-mediator look firmly in place, Phoebe agreed before the middle Halliwell could get started on her guilt trip. It really wasn't that much to ask, she supposed, all things considered. "Okay. But no vanquishing him."

"I said I wouldn't hurt him." But Prue couldn't resist adding, "Unless he really deserves it."

There was no need for Phoebe to chide her because Piper did it first. "Prue!" To Phoebe, she added, "He'll be safe. Don't worry."

"Okay. When do you want to see him?"

"Now," Prue said.

Phoebe didn't bother to argue, although it would have been nice to have some time to prepare – though what she needed to prepare for what, she didn't know. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

It took her twenty minutes to reach the mausoleum, almost five minutes of nervous pacing, wondering when and if Cole would show up, and then another ten full minutes trying to convince him to come back to the Manor with her.

"I've just spent a month on the run, hiding from everyone on both sides who wanted to kill me. And now you want me to willingly go to your sisters. The same sisters who hate me and want me dead."

"They don't hate you," Phoebe said, ignoring the second part. Cole fixed her with a sceptical look until she said, "All right. They do. But they aren't going to hurt you."

"How do I know I'm not walking into a trap?" Cole demanded.

That hurt Phoebe, more than she thought possible. "I wouldn't – I would never – "

Cole caught her in his arms, his expression softening significantly. "I know you wouldn't. It's not you I'm worried about. It's your sisters I don't trust. How do you know they're not fooling you and it's really a trap?"

A distant part of her mind noted how it was funny that her boyfriend didn't trust her sisters while her sisters didn't trust her boyfriend. The rest of it, however, was caught up in the accusation against Prue and Piper. "They would never do that," she said passionately. "Never!"

"All right," Cole said, holding his hands up as if to surrender. "I'm sorry I suggested it."

Phoebe was only partially appeased. "Please Cole. Do this for me."

He hesitated only for a few second. "Okay. For you."

They shimmered to just outside her front door and Phoebe found she was definitely starting to get the hang of it. She was the one who hesitated this time, before screwing up her courage and going inside. "We're back," she announced, not nearly as loud as she could have. Any extra time she could get before confronting her sisters was a welcome gift.

Unfortunately, Prue and Piper had been waiting for her and came as soon they heard the door open. Leo was nowhere in sight.

Beside her, Cole tensed. Prue clenched her hands into fists, and Phoebe could tell she was just itching to fling him across the room. Cole had noticed, too, and balled his hands in response.

Prue took a menacing step forward. "If you ever even think about hurting Phoebe, I will hunt you down and vanquish you before you know what's happening," she said. It wasn't a threat; it was a promise.

But Cole wasn't offended, as Phoebe feared. Instead, he stared at Prue for a long minute, before bending his head slightly in acknowledgement. His eyes never left Prue's, and he said, fiercely, "I would never hurt Phoebe. Ever."

Then, miracle of all miracles, Prue relaxed. "I don't trust you," she said, but the fact that she wasn't ready to vanquish him if he so much as moved the wrong muscle, spoke louder than her words did. For the first time that evening, Phoebe began to feel like this really might work. She and Cole really might have a shot at a life together.

"I know," Cole said.

It wasn't much, but it was a start. And in the end, that's all they could ask for.

End Understanding  
and end Secrets and Lies


End file.
